A Little Matter of a White Stag
by Laura Andrews
Summary: Kylee is thrown into Narnia from our world with only the movies to guide her. But Narnia may not be what she thought it was, and its rulers may be more than she was led to believe. Featuring blond Edmund, Peter-with-a-beard, and a hedgehog named Mrs. Crabapple.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Kylee Bridges sat back with a sigh. Her _major_ fifty-two chapter epic, involving herself and the two Kings of Narnia in a tangled love triangle, was finished. She already had over four hundred reviews, and this amazing ending was sure to get her at least a hundred by tomorrow.

She glanced at the clock. It had taken almost two hours. She stood up, stretched, and yawned, then sat down to check her mail. Five new reviews already!

She opened them up.

 _Great story, great ending! Peter is sooooooo hottttttt! You guys are perrrfect together!_

 _Ah man, I wish she'd ended up with Ed; he's the best, he's my fav forevs. Promise me you'll write a story where Eddie finds the love of his life! And let me be the love of his life. Pretty please?!1_

 _im so devistatted that its over. i just looovvved this story a never want it to endddd!1!1 please writ more your so good!_

 _I just watched the movie and im like obsessed with them all over again. Your story is just great and I really want to be in Narnia so I can fall in love with Pete and Ed BOTH! Reading your story is just like being there and its my fav story EVER!_

When she got to the fifth one, however, her heart bumped strangely. A tight feeling, like fear, hit her stomach.

 _Your wish is granted. You will be in Narnia by tomorrow morning._

That was it. It was such a strange note. Kylee wasn't superstitious. She didn't really believe in Narnia at all. So why did the message send a shiver down her spine? It must be that the thermostat was too low. She needed to get into bed, snuggle under the covers, and go to sleep. It was way late anyways and she had school tomorrow; her brain was probably just tired. That's all it was.

As she fell asleep, she saw the words blazing across the back of her eyelids: _Your wish is granted. You will be in Narnia by tomorrow morning._

"If only," she sighed, and drifted into oblivion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Susan Pevensie awoke to a brilliant Autumn morning. The sun shone on the young apple trees in the garden, turning their already golden leaves into something glorious and otherworldly. Susan laughed softly to herself. The beauty of a Narnian fall never ceased to amaze her, though she had lived through fifteen of them; it was most certainly her favorite season.

Before long she was dressed and outside, breathing the crisp air into her lungs until she felt ten years younger, alive as a wood nymph and free as the cool breeze.

After some time she strung her bow and practiced, as she did every morning. The twang of the string and the _thunk_ as the arrow hit its mark never failed to satisfy her.

After half an hour she unstrung her bow, retrieved her arrows, and turned to re-enter Cair Paravel, her mind set on her morning meal of omelette, bacon, toast, and tea.

"Oh my _goodness_ it's Narnia!"

The voice startled her. She spun around and saw a girl standing about twenty paces away, in pink printed flannel shirt and pants; the girl's mouth hung open. She seemed in shock, staring at Susan with eyes wide as saucers.

"Are you, like, Queen Susan the _Gentle_?" the girl asked, gasping at the end of her sentence as if she couldn't breathe properly.

"I am." Susan hardly thought this girl posed a threat, but decided that it was a strange enough appearance that she would bring her into the Cair and question her. "You must be hungry," she said. "Come with me."

The girl just stared for a minute, uncomprehending, and then followed Susan without another word.

Breakfast was already laid out in Susan's private chambers. She watched as the girl stared in bewilderment around her.

"It's like, I don't even know, like, so cool!" the girl managed after several moments.

"Forgive me." Susan took a sip of tea and set it down. "Would you care for some?"

"I can't believe it! High Queen Susan offering me a cup of tea!"

"I'm not the High Queen." It was an automatic response after years of ambassadors making the same mistake. "Peter is the High King."

"Peter!" The girl almost shrieked. "Where is he? I've gotta see him! Is he tall? And blonde? With eyes like the deep blue sea? Like in the movie?"

"My brothers Peter and Edmund are at present in Archenland, paying a visit to King Lune and the princes." The word _movie_ stirred a memory in Susan's mind. She wondered what it had to do with Peter. "He indeed has golden hair, though darker than Lucy's. His eyes are blue-grey, I suppose. I seldom note their color."

The girl seemed to suddenly remember that Susan had offered her tea. She took the cup, hesitance written in every line of her arm and hand, and looked into the dark liquid.

"I've never had hot tea before," she said at last.

"Then sip slowly or you may burn your mouth."

Susan felt some amusement as she watched the girl put the cup to her lips and then set it down quickly. She made a bit of a face.

"I don't think I like it," she said. "But I am hungry."

For the next fifteen minutes Susan and the strange girl ate in silence; Susan, with years of experience, refrained from giving in to her curiosity and kept her glances at a minimum, but the girl could not stop staring at her. When they were finished, Susan rang a bell and a Faun entered and cleared away the breakfast things. The girl's eyes, which had gone down to normal size after a while, widened again at the sight of him.

"Are you Mr. Timnus?" she asked.

"No," he said with a laugh. "I believe you meant _Tumnus_." The girl acknowledged this with an impatient nod. "My name is Voluns. Master Tumnus is the Queen Lucy's secretary." He bowed his head to Susan and trotted out with the tray.

"Now," said Susan, pushing her chair back. "I must ask you some questions. What is your name?"

"Kylee. Kylee Bridges."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen. Well, I'll be seventeen in a few months."

"How did you come to be within the walls of the castle?"

Kylee drew her brows together. "I don't know," she said. "I had a weird dream. I guess it was a dream, anyways, it said I would be in Narnia before morning. And when I woke up, I was there right behind you."

"It is strange indeed," mused Susan. "Perchance Aslan has sent you here in a time of need. What is the country of your birth? And from what world did you come? You must understand that I myself am not native to Narnia."

"Oh, I know all about that!" said Kylee. She seemed to regain her confidence. "You're from Finchley!"

"I am from London," said Susan. "But how came you to know it?"

"The movies!" Kylee seemed to think this was all the explanation necessary. "And your mom's name is Helen, right?"

"No," Susan said, with a bit of a smile. "Her name is Lucille. Now tell me, Kylee; I know what movies are, but how have you learned about us from them?"

"There's three of them." She looked eager to tell everything she knew. "They're all about your adventures in Narnia. In the first one, well, this must be the first one. In that one you defeated the White Witch and became kings and queens. I loved the battle, it was epic! And you shot the dwarf and rescued Edmund."

"Indeed, I did not shoot a dwarf in that battle," said Susan, indignation flaring through her. "My sister and I were not present when it was fought, and we came to Edmund after it was over. He was in the care of the Beavers, gravely wounded. Though the Lion knows I would have done what I could to protect him."

Kylee's face fell. "Then lots of this stuff isn't even right!" she said. "But that's how it was in the movie. Anyways, after you had all grown up, then …" she paused. "I guess that part hasn't happened yet. But if all this other stuff is different, then maybe it won't happen like that. 'Cuz you see, after you had all grown up, you hunted a deer and went back through the wardrobe and you were young again."

Susan's heart skipped a beat at these words. "You have said far too much already," she said. "It is not for us to know our futures."

"Oh, but you went back to Narnia! All of you. And you fell in love with a prince, but,"

"Enough." Susan stood and turned towards the window. "You must not say such things anymore. I will have clothing prepared for you, and then I must go to my work. You may look over the castle if you choose, or walk on the grounds, and dine with Lucy and myself at noon."

"Well, all right," the girl mumbled.

Susan did not turn to look at her, but waited until Kylee had left the room. After she had arranged for Kylee's clothes, she made her way to the library. She knew she had things to do, but she needed peace and quiet, and a place to think.

If what the girl had said was true, was their time in Narnia coming to an end? The thought terrified her. Even if they came back, it seemed as if they would go back to being children. Would they forget everything they had done? Would time pass in Narnia while they were away? Certainly it must; it had no connection, besides the wardrobe, to their own world.

She almost wished that Lucy were there; but her sister need not be burdened by such things. Why had the girl told her what would, or even might, happen? If there was nothing they could do to avert it, then they were better off being untroubled by it. And if they could change their fate, was it even right to do so?

 _You hunted a deer._ Kylee's words came back to her. The White Stag. Could it be? Tumnus had heard rumors of it in the Lantern Waste, and Peter and Edmund were keen to pursue it after they returned, which would be in two days time, if all was as it should be. And Lucy was only gone until nightfall.

What should Susan do? If she told them, then it might chance that they did not hunt the White Stag. But could she burden them with the knowledge?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Kylee put on the new clothes that Susan had sent down to her: a red wool dress, light and warm, stockings, leather boots, and woollen gloves. She brushed her hair and then twirled around in front of the mirror. The clothes felt amazing; she always thought that wool would be itchy, but it was soft as … she didn't know what. She was certainly warmer than she had been before; she threw her flannel PJs into a corner and set out to explore the castle.

She wondered when Peter and Edmund would be back. She could hardly believe she was even asking that question. This couldn't be real, could it? Which one would fall for her first? Maybe it would turn out as it had in her story, with the brothers fighting each other over her, rescuing her from dangers as varied as pirates and dragons. She knew they wouldn't look exactly like they had in the movie, but she was sure they would be so hot she could hardly stand it.

The castle was full of talking animals and Fauns. The animals were not what she had expected at all. When they spoke to her, it was almost as if a grownup was talking; they weren't funny like they were in the movie, and she couldn't imagine laughing at any of them. The two Fauns she met, twin brothers, seemed very interested in dancing; they invited her to the mid-Autumn feast, which would be held in a month, and promised to teach her to dance. Before she quite knew what she had done, she had said, "I'll try!" and they were on their merry way. Then she remembered that she wanted to dance with Peter and Edmund, not anyone else. Perhaps one would keep on snatching her away from the other throughout the dance, while they traded snarky insults back and forth. Oh, it would be heaven!

She opened a small door and found herself in the gardens. There were paths throughout, with benches in odd, secluded places, and arches twined over with climbing ivy. It was beautiful, with just the right mixture of wildness and cultivation; the scent of growing things almost overwhelmed her. As she walked down one of the paths, a girl about her own age met her. She was ruddy all over, and her hair had the faintest green tint to it; she wore clothes that looked like they had been spun from flowers. Kylee knew, somehow, that she wasn't human.

"Good morning," the girl said, bowing so gracefully that Kylee felt a pang of envy run through her. "I don't believe I have ever seen you before."

"Yeah, I haven't been here long. In Narnia, I mean. I met Queen Susan this morning."

"I am Rosa," the girl said. "I tend to the gardens. Queen Susan especially is fond of them. How do you like them?"

"They're great," Kylee said. "I'm Kylee. Do you know when Peter … I mean King Peter, and King Edmund, will be back?"

"In two days," said Rosa. "I hear that there is to be a banquet not long afterwords, when the Galman ambassador comes. Will you be there?"

"Of course!" she said, though she had not heard of it until just now.

"I must away to my work." Rosa continued down the path. "You may pick anything that catches your fancy; Queen Susan does not wish that anyone feel unwelcome here."

"OK, thanks." Kylee sat down on a bench, disappointment stinging her. Peter and Edmund wouldn't be here for two whole days! Why couldn't she have ended up in … wherever that place was where they were? She'd never even heard of a King Loon. She wondered if birds could even be kings, but supposed it was possible here.

She soon became tired of sitting in the garden and went back into the castle. For the rest of the morning she wandered around, looking into rooms and realizing that most of them she had already seen before. At last she found the library. It was empty. There were walls full of shelves, and the shelves were full of books; some of them so big that she didn't see how anyone could lift them.

Not being much of a reader, the books bored her after a while; she lay down on a couch and fell asleep before she realized she was tired.

She woke to someone shaking her shoulder.

"Lady Kylee, Lady Kylee."

She sat up, trying to get her bearings, and saw that it was Voluns the Faun.

"Queen Susan asks if you are hungry," he said.

"Oh, yeah, I guess so."

"Then follow me, if you please."

He led her through the castle to a dining room; it was not very large, and seemed to have been furnished for just the kings and queens. Susan was seated at the head of the table, and across from her was a golden haired woman whose face Kylee couldn't see.

She turned as Kylee entered and smiled warmly.

"My sister has told me that you are from our world," the woman said. "I am Queen Lucy."

"I'm Kylee."

"Tell me what has happened in our world while we have been gone from it," said Lucy. "And please be seated. We would not have our guests standing while we eat. There is your place, at my left. Edmund normally sits there, but we have it to ourselves until day after tomorrow."

Kylee felt a jolt run through her at the mention of Edmund's name. And she got to sit in his chair!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Lucy, returning sooner than she had expected, had found the castle abuzz with news about a strange girl from 'the other place' who had arrived that morning. Susan had seemed reluctant to talk about the girl. Now Lucy watched as her sister pushed the food around on her plate without eating it, while Kylee fired questions at her between mouthfuls.

"Tell me what your brothers are like," she said.

Lucy, who would much rather hear about their own world (a pang went through her at the thought of their mother, who must so long ago have given up all hope that she would ever see her children again), replied, "It's very difficult to tell you. You must see them for yourselves."

"But are they, like, always arguing with each other?" asked Kylee with a grin.

"We all argue with one another," said Lucy. "But not as much as we used to. It's often difficult to come to a consensus when there are four different people who are all very opinionated, but over the years we've learned that each of us has certain areas where we excel. Edmund is keen-eyed and wise, and so he most often sits in judgement. Peter is a warrior and leads the army. Susan meets with diplomats and ambassadors, and of course she manages the Cair. I attend to the needs of our people; I travel all around Narnia, hear disputes, heal grievous illnesses or wounds, and bring aid after disasters such as flood or fire."

Kylee paused with her fork almost to her mouth. "I didn't know there was so much to do!" she said.

"There is more than that. I have only told you the more interesting aspects. We of course have dull duties and tasks that take up much of our time. In fact, once this meal is over I will dictate a report of what I did today."

"What did you do?"

"I oversaw the completion of a new hospital a mile from the Dancing Lawn. Winter is not far off, and that is a time when many people become sick all at once." She smiled at Kylee's confused look. "It is always better to have something like that before you really need it. We have another hospital, but it is close to being filled."

"But can't you just use your cordial?" asked Kylee.

"I reserve it for grave injuries and fatal illnesses. It will run out some day. I have less than half the bottle left; I'm afraid I was rather reckless with it in the first year of my reign."

"Well, at least there's some left the next time you come to Narnia!" Kylee said, then stopped and glanced at Susan. Lucy turned towards her sister as well and saw grave displeasure there.

She wondered why the girl's words had upset her so, but Kylee seemed to understand. She asked no more questions during the meal, and hardly raised her eyes from her plate.

As soon as luncheon was over, Lucy asked Voluns to show Kylee around, and she followed Susan to the library. She waited as Susan paced back and forth without speaking for some minutes, and then, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer, said,

"Susan, dear, tell me what is the matter?"

"Oh Lucy." Susan sat down, clenching her hands together. "The longer that girl is here, the less I will be able to keep it from you, so I shall tell you at once and hear what you have to say."

She paused for a moment. Lucy leaned forward, a knot of fear growing in her stomach.

"Well!" Susan began. "She seems to know something of our future, as, what we will do, when we will do it. Some of her knowledge is incorrect, but not all of it. She has told me … more than I ought to know, and it frightens me."

"What has she told you?" Lucy, who had rarely seen Susan in such a state of mind, could hardly keep her own mind from wandering to unsettling worries for Peter and Edmund, or perhaps Lune or someone in his family. She knew how fond Lune and Susan were of each other.

"Oh, Lucy, it's ridiculous! It really is." Susan gave a small, choked laugh. "It involves no death, but a great change of our fortunes; a thing that I had long ceased thinking could happen. I really believe," and here she turned her face so that Lucy could not see it. "I believe that if what she has said comes to pass, it would break our hearts."

"But what is it?" Lucy hated to persist. She wanted to forget it all. But something in her had to know.

"That … we shall leave Narnia, and return to our own world as if we had never left it. As … children once more."

"Oh!" Lucy sat back. It was so different from all her fears that at first she felt relieved. Then she saw, as Susan's profile became visible, the tears on her sister's cheeks, and realized what such a thing would mean, not only for themselves, but for Narnia as well.

"I have been pondering what we might do to avert such a thing, and whether it is right even to do so." Susan sounded more in control of herself now. "I suppose we must tell Peter and Edmund." She sighed and turned fully towards Lucy. "But I cannot bear the thought of leaving Narnia and all those that we love. If Aslan has sent her, as I must believe, then perhaps he has sent her so that we might make a choice. Shall we continue as we have for these many years, or take the adventure he sets before us?"

"Perhaps there is no choice to be made," said Lucy. "She may know nothing."

"Perhaps." Susan rose. "And now we have duties which we must attend to. But I think first I will speak to Kylee."

At Lucy's alarmed glance, she raised her hand. "No, I do not intend to ask her for any more details regarding our future. I wish to tell her that, if she speaks any more of that knowledge, whether it is true or false, she will find herself promptly locked up."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Kylee figured it was a good idea to stay out of Susan's way as much as possible. So much for Susan the _Gentle_. The coldness in her tone, when she had warned her of revealing any more of her Narnia knowledge, had been chilling. So there were dungeons in Narnia! Apparently they weren't very civilized after all.

She was a bit afraid of Lucy as well, now. She would be sure to tell Susan if Kylee slipped up.

Peter and Edmund would come along soon, though, and everything would be great again. She could hardly wait.

The rest of that day, and the next day, passed slowly. It wasn't hard to avoid Susan or Lucy; both of them seemed to be busy, and just as eager to avoid her.

On her third day in Narnia, however, she woke knowing that this was The Day. The day she was to meet her two most hottest crushes, Peter and Edmund (or, as she sometimes referred to them in her fiction, Peetey and Eddykins).

She found the same dress laid out for her that she had worn the previous days; but that couldn't be right. She needed something gorgeous, something a princess would wear. She opened the door and yelled,

"Hey! I need help over here!"

A large hedgehog appeared at the end of the long hall and came waddling towards her. She was dressed in a cap and apron and Kylee thought she was frowning. But of course it was hard to read a hedgehog's face, with the long nose and everything.

"What would madam like?" the hedgehog asked.

"I would like a new dress. The kings are coming back and I want to look my best."

"Madam, I expect you will be invited to take dinner with them tonight, but you will not be required to wear anything fancy. They prefer to keep things simple, except on grand occasions."

Kylee wanted to stamp her feet and shout, "But this is a grand occasion! I'm meeting the two hottest guys ever!"

She stopped the words just as they were about to come from her mouth, and instead she turned and went back into the room. She sat on the edge of the bed and tried to think. There had to be a way to get something other than this plain old thing; she was tired of it anyways. Her eyes fell on a large chest in the corner of the room. Maybe there were clothes in there.

When she opened it, the only thing she saw were a few old oddments, including a steak knife. She took the knife in her hand and went over to the bed, eyeing the dress.

"I wonder how much trouble I'll get into. Well, nothing too horrible, I'm sure. It's just an old dress, and anyways I can't wear it to meet Peter and Edmund. That would be so awkward."

She sighed dreamily at the thought of her true loves and attacked the dress with the knife. It was a bit harder to cut up than she had thought, but in the end it was in tatters, as well as missing a sleeve. The bottom hem hung off like a long ribbon.

She smiled and went down in her nightclothes to the small room off of the kitchen where she had had her breakfast twice now; she had not been invited to eat with Susan or Lucy again.

The cooks and various other attendants of the castle looked at her clothing strangely, but she ignored them. She would take this issue up with Susan (or possibly Lucy) and no one else.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Susan folded her list and put it away. Everything was ready for Peter and Edmund's arrival, the preparations for the ambassador were coming along, and now she needed to look in on the arrangments for dinner.

As she neared the kitchen, Kylee appeared around the corner and stood in front of her, wearing a scowl that reminded her of nothing so much as Edmund back in his old boarding school days. Instantly she was suspicious. Then she noted Kylee's plaid pajamas, and her general lack of grooming.

"Is all well?" she asked.

Hopefully this would not take long. She looked over Kylee's shoulder at the bustling kitchen.

"No! All is not well." Kylee stamped her foot. "I asked the hedgehog lady for a new dress, and she wouldn't give me one. She wouldn't even let me try to convince her. And …" here she looked down, and a slight tremble came into her voice. "I think that rats ate my old one. Or something. It's all torn to shreds."

Susan suppressed a sigh. "I will look into it," she said. "In the meantime, go up to your room. I will have a new dress sent up presently."

"Can … can it be, you know, pretty? Like, jewels and stuff? Cuz you know, I want to look nice when, you know, the kings get here." The tone of casual innocence in her voice put Susan's former suspicions back on high alert. Cunning little fool. If she had not destroyed the dress herself, then Susan missed her mark.

"Something suitable will be brought for you. Now go."

The girl walked away, but just as she rounded the corner she did a little hop and skip. Susan frowned. She approached a young dwarf page who stood inside the kitchen.

"Send Mrs. Crabapple to me at once," she said.

The dwarf dashed off, and Susan at last made it into the kitchen, where she spent the next half hour directing the preparations for the meal.

"Ah, Lucy, there you are!" Susan's voice came down to her from the staircase leading into the sitting room. Lucy looked up from her book and smiled as her sister approached.

"I have had a morning." Susan sat down in a chair near the fireplace and leaned back, allowing herself to lose the business-like manner she must have had all morning.

Lucy came to her side.

"What's wrong, Su?"

"It's that girl. Kylee. Aslan help me, she is not only as vain as a peacock, but she is destructive and also, if I read her rightly, she has designs upon not only one, but both of our brothers."

"Destructive?" Lucy furrowed her brow. "Has she been tearing up the castle?"

"No, but she ruined a good dress because she wanted one with jewels on it. Oh, I read it all in her words to me, though she thought herself very crafty." Here she slipped into an imitation of Kylee's whining voice. "She only wanted to look her best when the kings come. The rats must have eaten it in the night." She put her hand to her forehead. "Why then did the rats not come and nibble at her toes? When Mrs. Crabapple brought me the dress, I saw at once that a knife had been used, though how the wretch got hold of one I cannot say. It was a knife with a jagged edge, like one used in the kitchens, but there are no reports of any missing. I suppose I could look into it, but it seems rather unimportant at the moment. The main thing is that for no reason but her own vanity she destroyed a piece of clothing that would have lasted a good deal longer and was perfectly serviceable. Indeed, I am wearing one that might be its twin right now. If it is fit for a queen, I suppose that it is fit for a girl who wears that ghastly plaid apparel."

Lucy laughed as Susan paused for a breath before continuing.

"Mrs. Crabapple also said that Kylee had not mentioned to her a word of the dress being ruined. Besides the ludicrous suggestion that there are rats in the castle, when only last month old Tortoiseshell declared us free of all non-talking rodents and took his leave for the year."

"So then, sister, what did you give her to wear?"

A mischievous twinkle came into Susan's eyes. "You will see presently." She stood and smoothed her skirts. "Now I must go and make ready for the arrival of our brothers. I think I shall wear jewels tonight. What of yourself?"

"Oh, indeed. I'll wear my velvet gown, the one with the diamonds." Lucy grinned. "I have a feeling, Susan, that our finery may work cruelly on the poor girl's mind."

"Then perhaps she should not have worked so cruelly upon the dress," said Susan. "I might have given her some pearls to wear, otherwise."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Kylee lay on the bed, face down, pounding the mattress with her fists and yelling into the pillow (which had become pretty soggy by now).

How dare Susan do such a thing! It wasn't fair, wasn't fair, wasn't fair. She needed a better dress; she had to impress the two kings on their first meeting. All she'd done was mess up one stupid old dress. It wasn't like it was some family heirloom or anything (at least she didn't think it was).

Just wait until she became High Queen of Narnia, ruling beside her Peetey. Then Susan would be forced to go around in ridiculous clothes until she apologized.

At last she sat up. She dried her face on the sheets and looked at the two choices of clothing that Susan had given her. One was a dress much like the one Mrs. Crabapple wore, complete with an apron. It looked like servant's clothing and she could never, ever wear such a thing. The other was a drab brown sack-like thing. Really, it was like a bag with holes in it for her arms and head. She really couldn't wear that.

She looked at them for a moment, and at last a plan formed in her head. She put on the sack; it would be easiest to change out of. She peered out of the doorway down the hall; no one was in sight. Then she made her way down the hall, trying each door as she came to it.

Most of them were empty or locked, so she continued. Three doors from the end, she came on a room that clearly belonged to one of the queens. A carved four poster bed, hung with fancy curtains; a room beyond with a small library, a desk, and a tea table. And, best of all, a wardrobe full of dresses fit for a princess.

It was only an hour or so before Peter and Edmund arrived. Kylee looked through the dresses, and chose a blood red one that set off her dark hair and eyes perfectly.

On her way out, she noticed some golden hair combs on the bedside table. She snatched up the most ornate of them and ran back to her room, where she spent the next twenty minutes painstakingly buttoning at least fifty buttons.

The dress was a bit tight under the arms, and a bit longer than she felt comfortable with. It would be horrible if she tripped down the stairs. Although, if she happened to tumble into the arms of a handsome king, that wouldn't be so bad.

It took even more effort to put her hair up. The tight sleeves made it hard to reach behind her head, and her heart was in her throat every time it pulled. What if it ripped?

Finally she decided to simply let her hair down. She brushed it into silky waves and made sure her bangs hung in just the right way over her face so that they could be brushed aside by tender but manly hands.

She looked into the mirror; it was as though she had stepped right out of a movie. Peetey and Eddiekins would be fighting over her by the end of the night. Hopefully there would be a dance; there had to be a dance.

She decided to go barefoot; the dress would hide her feet, and there was no way she was wearing the clunky boots they had given her.

Then she sat on the bed, waiting for the moment to make her grand arrival in the great hall.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I am so glad you are here safely at last," Susan said, as Peter and Edmund dismounted and handed their horses off to the stable hands. "How did you find Lune and his sons?"

"Well, as ever," Peter said. "Cor has made remarkable progress in this last year. The lad might almost have been raised in Archenland."

"I think that his life in Calormen gave him wisdom he might otherwise never have gained," said Edmund, taking Susan's arm as they went into the castle. "But he is somewhat less grave than he was at first; Corin, and the other lads and lasses around him, have taught him some mischief."

"Still, he is less foolhardy than they," said Peter. "And is a great lover of his books, while Corin will be sneaking off at every opportunity to avoid a lesson."

Susan laughed. "It sounds as though all is well indeed. I intend to have the princes come to stay for a time; what think you of two weeks before Christmas? Cor has never seen the great snow dance."

"Peter! Edmund!" Lucy swept towards them, radiant in a blue velvet gown and diamonds.

"Jewels and velvet," said Edmund, after Lucy had flung her arms around him. "I did not know our coming, after a mere month of absence, occasioned such a thing."

"To speak truth," Susan said, feeling a touch foolish. "There is a reason, and it is not your return so much as …"

They had just stepped into the great hall. Susan stopped speaking as a blur of scarlet and gold swept down the stairs and tumbled in a heap right at the bottom.

Lucy gave a small cry and ran towards it, and Susan covered her face in her hands. Would the girl not even give them time to tell Peter and Edmund of her presence? She watched as Lucy tried to give Kylee a hand up, but the girl snatched her hand away and began to sob.

"She is well," Lucy said, stepping back with queenly dismissal. "And she is wearing my gown."

Peter and Edmund went forward, and the girl's weeping immediately ceased. She looked up at them, and then gave a small shriek and fell backwards.

"What ails her now?" Susan said aloud, to no one in particular. She strode to Kylee's side and heaved her up. "On your feet before their majesties. Peter, Edmund, this is Kylee. She seems to be from our world, but from the future. Therefore, she will say nothing to you on the subject of anything she may know about us." She stared hard at Kylee, who sniffed and nodded with very ill grace. "Now, I am sure you two would like to change. When you return, dinner will be served."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

It was all a blur. Everything had gone wrong. Kylee had come down, had seen the manly forms framed in the doorway, and had run to meet her two crushes. She had tripped on the last step and fallen sprawling, but that would have been fine if one of Them had come to help her up. Instead, it had been Lucy (who seemed to be having a difficult time deciding whether to laugh or get angry).

Then, when Peter and Edmund finally did come forward, it was all wrong. So, so wrong. They were both blonde. What was up with that? She'd thought Edmund was Peter at first, because of the golden hair, but when she looked over she saw that Peter had a beard. And not one of those cute scruffy beards like a country singer, but an actual curling beard that covered his (she was assuming here) cute chin completely. How old _was_ he, exactly? Like, thirty?

She sat across from them at the dinner table, staring at the two kings. Edmund was her best chance, she supposed. But he was supposed to be dark haired! Why in the world had he dyed his hair blond? It was all wrong, wrong, wrong; it must have been that King Loon person who had messed them all up, beards and hair dye and what not. She would have to get Peter to shave, definitely; and she would find Edmund's bottle of dye and destroy it. He had to have dark hair; it only made sense!

But the bitterest disappointment was that neither of them had yet made physical contact with her, except for kissing her hand; but they were wearing gloves at the time so it hardly even counted. Right now they were talking to Susan and Lucy as if she didn't even exist and … she had to do something about that at once

"So, the White Stag?" she said, in a loud voice.

They all turned to her. Susan set her knife down with an angry thump and Lucy gave her a glare.

"Ah, so you have heard of him, too?" Edmund said. "We intend to hunt him soon. Indeed, now that all four of us are together, perhaps we should arrange to do it in the next week."

"Oh, no, you can't do that!" she practically shrieked. At the same moment, Susan said, "I think we should discuss a few things first." And Lucy said, "It need not be so soon."

"There is something strange here," Edmund said with a keen glance at Kylee. Her face felt hot as his gaze fell on her. "Perhaps, lady, you might walk with me and tell me what you know. For Aslan has entrusted this land to us, and any insight you could give would be most welcome."

"Absolutely not!" Lucy said. "Peter, Edmund, you don't know everything yet. Kylee has done nothing but cause trouble since she came. I would rather you spoke to Susan and myself first, before this girl can do yet more damage."

Kylee put on her best pout. "I haven't done anything," she said. "Your sisters didn't like me ever since they met me. They've been really mean this whole time."

"Now that I cannot believe," said Peter. "After all, Susan is not called the Gentle for nothing. And if Lucy is quick tempered, yet she is also the first to go to the aid of any in distress, and she is moved to tears by the pain of any living thing."

"What about this morning?" Kylee burst out. "Susan was going to make me …"

"Enough!" Edmund said, banging on the table with his knife. "Susan, Lucy, I see that you are distressed over some matter to do with Kylee. We will discuss it at once and have it out of the way. As for you," he fixed her again with his piercing gaze, and she felt herself melting on the spot. There was nothing hotter than stern!Edmund, even with his ridiculous hair. "Let me hear no more of your misconduct in this castle or I shall be forced to set you to work, instead of keeping you as an honored guest."

Immediately she fell into a temper. How dare he threaten her like that? Honored guest, yeah, sure, until she wasn't. She pouted again.

"Oh, you are such a child," Lucy murmured. "Finish your dinner."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

It did not take Susan and Lucy long to tell Peter and Edmund all about Kylee and her strange knowledge of their future.

"So one of us is going to write a book about all of this, one day," said Edmund. "I would say it was likely to be myself, save that I have no intention of doing so."

"I am afraid no one would believe us," said Peter, glancing at Lucy with a half-ashamed look on his face.

"I did not tell you all of this so that we could argue something foolish and unimportant." Susan sat straight in her chair and gave them her most queenly look. "The question before us is, shall we take her words about the hunting of the White Stag as a warning. And if so, shall we heed that warning?"

"It is a great desire of mine to capture the White Stag," said Peter. "There are many things I would wish to have granted, among them …"

"We know," said Lucy. "A good harvest, so that our people may not go hungry. Peace for a year and a day. They are all good wishes, my dear brother, but as for myself I would wish good health on all our subjects."

"It is noble, indeed," said Edmund. "But my own wish would be, that I might be absolutely just in all my judgements, that our people need never fear to come before me."

"Edmund, none of our subjects fears any such thing," Lucy said, giving his hand a squeeze. "I am afraid that your wish is the only one that makes no sense."

"Enough!" Susan's voice rose in impatience. "We might sit here all night arguing about whose wish is best, or most needful. The White Stag gives one wish only, and only to the one by whom he is caught. For myself, if you three are resolved to go in pursuit of him, I am minded to stay here. If, as Kylee says, the hunting of the stag means our return to our own world, then we cannot leave our people leaderless when once we have been forewarned. For my wish is that we, to the best of our abilities, govern this land as Aslan wishes us to do."

"But should we not take the adventure which he sends to us?" asked Lucy.

"Hear, hear!" Edmund cried.

"Indeed, Susan speaks the truth," said Peter. "We are not private persons, who may amuse ourselves even in the pursuit of a noble thing; as the White Stag assuredly is. We must take thought for the good of our people. If Susan is resolved to stay from hunting, then I as the High King shall remain with her."

There was silence for a moment. Lucy looked around at the other three.

"I do not believe that Aslan would send two of us back, and leave the other two here," she said. "Perhaps this warning is that we may not all go on the hunt, and therefore the fate which Kylee has foreseen will not come to pass. I will hunt the White Stag. Edmund, what say you?"

Edmund stood and went to the fireplace, where he gazed into the flames. "Indeed a shadow has always fallen on my heart, whenever the stag was mentioned," he said. "Though I do not know if it is a shadow of doom, or of something else entirely. Yet I desire greatly to hunt the stag. Therefore I will not choose now. Lucy, I beg you not to go until I have resolved this thing in my own mind, to go or to stay."

"Very well, brother," she said. "You have my word."

Susan rose and took up a candle. "And now, I am sure that you two are weary from your travels. Your rooms are prepared. I wish you all goodnight."

"Goodnight, Susan," they all said.

Lucy watched her go. The hand that shielded her candle wavered a bit, though there was no sign of trouble in her face.

The other three bid each other goodnight, and went to their rooms.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Kylee crept away from the door, feeling strange inside; as if she had just overheard parents talking about their children. They were all so different from what she had thought they would be; for just a moment, the thought came to her that she was in a far deeper, older place than she had any right to be.

The door opened and Susan came out, carrying a candle. Kylee made sure she was hidden in the shadows, but Susan did not look around. After her came Edmund, then Lucy and Peter together.

 _Edmund._ He wasn't sure if he was going on the stag hunt. She needed to keep him from going. If she could not convince him, then she would have to do something else. Maybe something drastic. It was fine if Lucy went; she was just sort of in the way, after all. It was really Peter and Edmund who did all the ruling, and all the fighting over beautiful girls from other worlds. Her mind quickly dropped back into the world of her fanfiction, and she went upstairs to lie in bed, dreaming of dancing with Edmund, or falling into Peter's arms and looking up into his (smooth-shaved) face.

For some reason, into the middle of one of these dreams came the thought, "Why don't they have toothpaste here? My breath will stink when I kiss him."

She woke up early in the morning and got dressed. Susan had sent up another plain dress, much like her first one; the velvet dress, which she had flung over a chair last night, had been removed. Her grand entrance had already been made, so she put on the dress and went to the window. Narnian air was certainly fresh, and it smelled really nice.

She looked down into the garden, and her heart leaped into her throat and nearly choked her. There was Edmund, her Eddiekins himself, walking slowly down the garden path.

She ran down the stairs and out into the grounds, where it took her some time to orient herself and get to the place she had seen out of her window. When she got there, he was not in sight and she spent the next ten minutes going up and down long paths between rambling bushes and avenues of trees before she finally found him.

He was kneeling on the ground, examining a small flower. She came up to him and playfully touched his shoulder. He looked up and smiled as if half his mind was elsewhere.

"Well, Edmund?" she said. "Finally we can, um, you know, get to know each other. Without everyone else around."

He stood up and took her hand to kiss it, but she snatched it away. "You don't have to do that," she said. "I don't want you to."

"Very well." He glanced around as if searching for something. "Did you wish to ask a question of me?"

"No. I just wanted to be with you."

"I am afraid I will not be good company at this time, Kylee. Perhaps you could go with Lucy on her morning ride."

"No, I don't want to be with Lucy." She stared up into his eyes. He was so tall. Taller than in the movie for sure.

"I am loathe to ask this of you," he said. "But I must know, how certain are you that, if we hunt the White Stag, we will return to our own world?"

"Um, Susan said she would put me in the dungeon if I said anything else about it." Kylee shifted from foot to foot as if nervous. He was going to suggest that they keep it a secret between themselves now. This was exciting!

Edmund set his lips together in a thin line. At first she thought he was angry, but then realized he was thinking. "Only tell me what surety you have," he said. "I will not allow you to be imprisoned for that."

"I'm, like, pretty sure?" she said. "I mean, it was in the movie, kind of the big thing at the end. You all go back through the wardrobe, and you're kids again, and the professor throws that ball to you. Oh, that was funny, in the bloopers he knocks you in the head on accident."

"You speak of a movie," Edmund said slowly. "Tell me, how did our story become known to the world?"

"Umm," she said, at a loss. "I think it was a book first. I never read the book, though. I don't know who wrote it, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't you. I mean, I thought it wasn't even real, you know."

He turned and made his way to a bench, and sat down. Kylee came and sat beside him, getting as close to him as she could without touching him. "My mind is troubled because of your words. In Narnia I am held to be wise, but at times it is as if my wisdom is a cloak for my true foolishness. Why should I wish to hunt a stag, even to gain a wish? Even to gain a wish for the good of my kingdom? And yet, I do. I have spoken of it very little, but my heart burns to capture the noble creature myself; and I am ashamed that I would think to chance my kingdom on it. Yet Lucy is herself determined to go, and I set great store by her faith that all will work as Aslan wishes it to."

Kylee tried to think of something to say to this, but the only thing that came out was, "Oh. Sure."

"Do you know Aslan?" he asked.

"Uhh, you mean, the lion?"

His look was half-puzzled. "How can you be so certain of our tale, and yet have no confidence in the matter of Aslan?"

"Erm." She tried to decide what he meant by that, then decided it didn't matter much. "Anyways, if you want my opinion, don't go. Because … your country comes first and all that. And besides, I'm here."

"Yes, you are indeed. But why are you here? Were you sent as a warning, or a test?"

"Uhh, maybe I wasn't sent. I mean, I really wanted to be here. Maybe I came for you." It was really strange how things that would have sounded perfectly romantic in a fanfiction sounded so weird when she actually said them aloud. But Edmund did not seem to have heard her.

"Aslan neither commanded nor forbade the hunting of the stag. He often works through means other than direct instruction. If only I knew which he meant you to be."

"Edmund, stop it!" This had gone on long enough. She wasn't going to be ignored any longer. "Do you love me or not? If you do, then you'll stay here and not go chasing after some silly old deer."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Lucy looked up from the letter she was writing to the matron of the new hospital as Mrs. Crabapple came in.

"Yes, Mrs. Crabapple?" she said.

"Pardon me, highness," the old hedgehog said. "But your guest is weeping her eyes out, and I'm that distressed I don't know what to do. She won't tell me anything, just keeps on saying, 'He's supposed to fall in love with me!' Please come quickly."

Lucy got up and followed Mrs. Crabapple down the hall to Kylee's room. She pushed the door open quietly and looked in. Kylee lay on the bed, sobbing and pounding the pillows.

"You may go," Lucy said in a whisper. Mrs. Crabapple bowed and departed, and Lucy went to the bedside.

"Kylee, my dear, what is wrong?" she asked.

"He doesn't love me!" the girl shrieked. "He never thought about me like that, he … he's too taken up with ruling a kingdom! And now he's going to hunt the White Stag and leave me, and he doesn't even care!"

"Calm yourself," Lucy said, her tone grimmer than she had intended to make it. "Sit up and look at me, child."

"I'm _not_ a _child_!" Kylee buried her face in the pillow and burst into a fresh round of sobs. "That's what he called me, too! It's not like you're all that much older than me, and … and … this isn't how it's supposed to happen! There was supposed to be … it was supposed to … he has to love me!"

Lucy rose. "Once you have stopped this ridiculous noise, I will talk to you. Until then, I have things I must attend to."

"No, wait," Kylee said in a piteous voice. She sat up and looked at Lucy. Her face was red and tear stained, and strands of hair were matted to her face.

Lucy sighed and came back to the bedside. "I am sorry that I have been unable to speak with you much, in the time you have been here. The duties of the kingdom lie rather heavily upon me at times, and I cannot set them aside whenever I wish. Yet I think you and I should talk now. Tell me what happened."

Kylee heaved a deep breath that was half sob, half hiccup, and said, "I asked Edmund if he loved me and …"

Lucy choked back a laugh, and Kylee glared at her. "He said that we … we had only just met. But that's stupid. People fall in love at first sight all the time! And I told him so, and he said … he said … that he hadn't." Tears slipped down her cheeks. "But he was _supposed_ to, don't you see? That's why I came! It was going to be just like in one of my stories. And he's ruined everything!" She pulled up the sheet and pressed her face into it. "And he called me his child, like he's my father or something. And he said something about … I don't know, maturity or something. I guess. I can't understand half of what he says, he talks like a dictionary."

"Let me ask you one question, Kylee," said Lucy. "Do you love him?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then why do you speak of him so disdainfully?"

The girl looked confused.

"There have been a score of other girls like yourself, who threw themselves at him expecting him to lose his wits over their charm, or beauty, or for no reason at all. I have seen him in love only once, though, and it was not with a princess, or a duke's daughter, or even a peasant girl from the islands."

Kylee looked up at her and hiccuped. "Who was it?" she asked.

"The dryad of an apple tree. Some three years ago. She did not return his affection, and so he gave her up with as good a grace as I have ever seen; though it was with great sorrow. My brother is not as you seem to believe him, one who gives his heart to a pretty face alone. Yet he knows the pain of unrequited love, and I am sure that he said nothing to you but in a gentle manner."

Lucy saw thoughts racing across Kylee's face, questions one after the other, but the poor girl no doubt had no way of forming these new ideas into words. She seemed to have a very shallow mind. Lucy pitied her.

"But that's why I came, isn't it?" she said at last in a quivering voice.

"I do not know why you came. Perhaps it was not to warn us at all, but to teach you something. I happen to believe that that is why anyone comes to Narnia, at least in part. Before we came, Edmund was awful. To tell you the truth, I had grown afraid of him, and I disliked him; I was only a very small girl at the time, and he was so cruel to me. But in Narnia, by Aslan's good will, he changed. He has fought in battle, yes, and I am sure that that is romantic to your mind. But he has also held a dying Robin in his hands and wept over it. And his first concern is his people; I think if there were a strict contest, he and Susan would come neck-and-neck, for they are much alike in spirit. If you came to him, professing your love, while he was in the midst of a struggle in his mind over which path he ought to choose, it was most certainly not the proper time. Even if you truly loved him, which, forgive me, I do not see."

Kylee had fallen silent. Lucy reached out and pressed her hand. "Now, I must go back. I hope you will think on what I have said."

The girl nodded and Lucy left the room, with one last look back. Kylee was watching her with troubled eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

After Lucy had gone, Kylee felt a strange sensation. It was like what she had felt when she was listening to the conversation between the four, but it was stronger. Something that Lucy had said had seemed to go into her heart, and she had no idea what it was.

She sat, thinking long and hard, longer and harder than she had ever done before.

Did she really love Edmund? She thought she did, but maybe she was taking those feelings in her fanfiction and trying to use them for herself. And they weren't hers. After all, she had not felt a particular connection to Edmund, and that's what you needed in love, right?

And he had been trying to think, and she had been rude and tried to get him to think about her. Maybe the movie had it wrong, or something. Or maybe no one had known what Narnia was really like. All those fanfics about Peter and Edmund hadn't seemed to capture any of this. They were supposed to be bantering, and riding around getting into mischief. Or getting captured and chained up and wounded, and then being rescued by a girl who they fell in love with.

And Lucy and Susan were way different, too. They seemed like actual grown ups. Kylee had always thought of them as kind of like high school girls, sort of like herself. Giggly and headstrong and doing stuff that backfired on them.

The word _kingdom_ suddenly seemed to mean a lot more. Running a kingdom was actually a lot of work. She had never really thought about it. If she married Edmund, and became a queen, she wouldn't know half of what to do; she wouldn't even have the motivation to learn how to do it. She couldn't even keep her own room neat.

So what had been the point of coming to Narnia? It wasn't turning out fun or romantic like she'd thought it would, but a little part of her mind said that it was better than she had imagined. Or would have been, if she could have appreciated it.

She went to her window and looked out. Edmund was nowhere to be seen. She wondered if, after her outburst, he would rather not talk to her. But she might as well see.

Lucy walked down to the stables. Her letters were finished and she needed fresh air desperately. When she entered, she found Edmund saddling his horse.

"I will hunt the White Stag with you, Lucy" he said. His voice was rather grim as he said it.

"You greatly desire to do so," she said, her tone half question and half statement of fact.

"Yes, but I cannot tell you why. Most things are clear to me, but this is different."

"You have something of foresight," she said. "It is why you make an excellent judge."

"Then why am I so blind in this matter?" He gave the girth a final pull and set about putting the harness on the horse. "I half-wish that Kylee … that Aslan had not sent her here. More than half. Before she came, I would have said with certainty that all four of us were meant to hunt the stag."

"Peter and Susan must decide for themselves, but so it seemed to me as well."

"My main fear is the succession. We have never appointed a regent, and now I feel it is a great oversight. If we were taken from Narnia suddenly, all four of us at once, I would feel the guilt of it keenly. Even more so if I, against all sign of warning, allowed my country to be put in a state of turbulence."

"In any case, no matter how this matter falls out, it would be wise to take thought for who will rule in our stead." Lucy put her back to her horse and leaned against it, watching Edmund as he fumbled with the harness; his hands seemed to be trembling. "But I am determined that one at least of us will go on the hunt. If we captured the stag, we might do great good for Narnia. And Aslan has never allowed us four to be separated for long, so I do not fear that I will be taken back to our own world while you and Peter and Susan are left behind."

"Things never happen the same way twice, sister." Edmund finally had the harness on. Lucy turned back to her horse. "I love Narnia too much to leave her without a leader. I have given thought to who would rule if we all should chance never to have heirs, but I think such should be left for a formal council meeting."

"Then let us leave it, and ride together."

They led their horses out of the stable, mounted, and trotted out of the castle yard into the dappled shade of the nearby forest.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Susan wandered out into the garden with shears, a small knife, and a basket. Nearly all the preparations were completed for the ambassador of Galma, who would arrive on the morrow. She made her way to the fountain in the northern corner; her favorite roses grew there, bred for her by Rosa. They were of a rich, deep purple, and she had named them Royal Velvet.

She took out her shears and clipped the last autumn blooms that still lingered for a while.

"Oh."

Susan turned at the exclamation and saw Kylee. She smiled, a bit tightly. Mrs. Crabapple had told her of the girl's outburst earlier.

"I thought … Edmund was over here," said Kylee. She seemed very subdued, almost thoughtful. "Never mind." She turned to go.

"Wait, child." Susan beckoned to her. "Edmund and Lucy have gone riding."

Kylee stood there, staring at her as if trying to determine something.

"I think I got everything wrong," Kylee said at last. "But I don't know what it is. But everything that I did since coming here turned out bad, even the stuff that should have worked."

"What do you mean?" asked Susan, eyeing the girl curiously.

"Well, in fanfiction if you fall into Narnia and meet Peter or Edmund, they fall in love with you instantly. Usually, I mean, at least sometimes you have to rescue them or something and then they see that you were meant to be together. And then they fight over you until finally you stop them and choose who you really want to be with. And it's a really hard choice, and whoever you don't choose is crushed. You know?"

Susan shook her head. "You mean that in your world, stories are written about my brothers in which girls, such as yourself, come to Narnia regularly and marry them?"

"Yeah!" Some of her old enthusiasm came back. "It's stuff written by people who like the movies, and have crushes on Peter or Edmund. Or sometimes Caspian …" she trailed off. "Never mind about him. I wrote some, too. I never thought I'd actually come to Narnia. It was just a sort of game, I guess. I wanted to come, so I wrote about it instead. And then it happened."

Susan smiled. "We often find that expectation does not match reality." She held out the cut roses to Kylee. "Would you like to make the flower arrangements with me?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

They spent the next half hour choosing flowers. Susan watched Kylee closely. Something about her had certainly changed; for one thing, she did not seem interested in talking about Edmund or Peter more than anything else. She soon became engaged in the work of finding flowers which complemented each other. She seemed to have an eye for it, but had obviously never done it before.

"Lovely," Susan said when they had filled the basket full. They went to the kitchen and Susan showed her how to carefully trim the thorns off of the roses. "Now we shall arrange them in the vases. You make one first, and see how you do."

Kylee seemed hesitant at first, even nervous, but she set to work and filled the vase with flowers. It was fairly good for a first attempt; Susan told her what could be improved, and Kylee's eyes filled with tears.

"Come now," Susan said briskly. "Go on to the next one. I think you will see that you have improved. We never learn without an equal measure of encouragement and criticism. Surely you have failed at something in life, and been made to do it over?"

"Yeah, at school," said Kylee. "But I hate school."

"I am somewhat of the same mind," Susan said, laughing as memories of her own boarding school came back to her. "But I think it is often the teacher, and not the subject, which is the real trouble. There, that is done very nicely. I think the stems might be cut a bit shorter on the roses here, so that they do not stand so tall above the rest of the flowers." She smiled. "Go on to the next."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

The next day, Kylee woke to find a beautiful blue silk dress had been laid out for her, along with comfortable leather shoes. A willowy dryad girl came in not long after she had dressed.

"Her Highness the Queen Susan has sent me to dress your hair," the girl said.

With quick, skilful fingers, the girl put Kylee's hair in a complicated knot, and finished it off with a jewelled pin in the shape of a flower.

She withdrew with a bow and Kylee ran to the mirror. She caught her breath as a strange girl looked out at her; almost a princess. The thought ran through her mind that Edmund or Peter would surely fall for her like this; then she gave a little laugh, and realized she didn't care. She would enjoy herself at the banquet; somehow, bothering about someone falling in love with her seemed like it might take the fun out of it.

The whole castle was in a pleasant bustle as Kylee made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. When she arrived, she found Lucy waiting for her.

"Will you have breakfast with us?" asked Lucy.

Kylee nodded, and Lucy took her arm. Together they went up to the small parlor where she had eaten on the first morning. The sunlight streamed through the windows, and a sea breeze stirred the gauzy curtains.

Peter, Susan, and Edmund were already eating. Kylee had not seen Peter since that night. He had trimmed his beard close to his jaw and, despite it, he looked very kingly. He smiled at her, a bit absently.

Edmund got up and held her chair for her, opposite his own. His eyes looked less troubled than they had before, but he did not smile.

Susan passed the tea. "Good morning, Kylee."

There was small talk among the kings and queens; occasionally a question was addressed to her, but she did not feel inclined to talk much. Something was bothering her. If only Lucy went on the hunt for the White Stag, then they might all live out their lives in Narnia. Then they would never come back to free Narnia from that Miraz guy; Susan would never fall in love with Caspian; and Edmund and Lucy would never sail on the Dawn Treader.

But she couldn't tell them all of that. She did not know how to tell them what she thought; her mind was a bit of a jumble. They all looked so peaceful, and so happy in a quiet way (except maybe Edmund); all of this would be gone if they went back to their world. And she wondered, also, what would happen to herself. Would she go back immediately, or was she stuck here forever? It wouldn't be so bad, she supposed, but still. She had a life, and here she was nobody in particular. And her parents would wonder what on earth had happened to her and … she suddenly thought about the Pevensies' parents.

"You … you have to go on the hunt," she burst out.

They all stopped talking and looked at her. Edmund almost choked on his toast.

"What on earth do you mean?" asked Susan.

"There are lots of things that won't happen if you don't," she said, trying to figure out how to say it. "Things that are supposed to happen. I can't talk about them. You aren't supposed to stay here for the rest of your lives."

For the first time that morning, a smile played on Edmund's lips. "My thanks, Kylee. It was bravely said."

"Really?"

"I agree with her," Edmund continued, looking around at the others. "I have turned the matter over and over in my mind this last day and night; and her words make it clear what I at least must do. Whether we capture the White Stag, or whatever strange things we encounter here or in our world, I believe that it is our duty to take the adventure which Aslan sends to us. We should make all the arrangements for the succession, if indeed we do not return, but I do not think Kylee was sent here to warn us. Our tale has already been told, in some respects. We cannot set it aside, even if we would. For my part, I believe that we will return to Narnia even if we leave her for a while. I will go with Lucy."

Susan's face was pale. She sat very straight and still in her chair.

"Then why was she sent to us?" she asked, in a low, even voice. "Simply to trouble our minds and cause doubt and dissension among us four, who should be in unity?"

"Perhaps it has less to do with us than with her," said Lucy. "Perhaps she was sent, not for us, but for herself. Look at her; she has changed for the better already, in the time she has been with us. Maybe her words to us were not an omen at all, but simply her own words when she did not know any better. What do you say, Peter?"

The High King drew a deep breath and set his hands on the table and did not speak for several minutes. "It is a hard matter," he said, slowly. "But I, too, have pondered this since yesterday, and I trust Edmund's judgement. In this I think we should be guided by him, for he speaks the truth as he sees it, and most often he sees it aright."

"And I in my turn am guided by Lucy's faith in Aslan's purpose," said Edmund.

"I like it not," Susan said. "Is not our country our first care? If we see evil coming, do we not prepare ourselves so that we might turn it aside? No matter that we have chosen a regent; Narnia would still be put into turmoil. At the first sign of weakness, Calormen may strike us, with or without Rabadash's leave. Will none of you see reason?"

There was a long silence.

At last Susan rose, folded her napkin very slowly and deliberately, and left the parlor.

Lucy stood. "Let me talk to her," she said.

"No, I think she wishes to be alone for now." Edmund sighed. "Alas, I am sure that is a blow to Susan to be alone in this."

Peter looked at Kylee as if he had just remembered she was there. "Leave us," he said. "We must speak privately."

She got up. His tone had not been unkind, but the words stung her. She had caused all this trouble between them. How strange to look back hardly four or five days and see herself as a child then. She had just talked and talked, without thinking about any of the consequences of her words. She had done some really stupid things, too. And now who knew what might happen.

She walked out into the garden and wandered through it, going nowhere in particular, until she came upon a little arbor. She stopped when she noticed that Susan was seated there, on a bench of carved stone. She had a bunch of flowers in her hand, and was pulling the petals off one by one and letting them float to the ground. She already had a lot of petals around her feet.

Kylee thought about leaving. Susan would probably remember who had started this, and all their friendship of the day before would be gone. But before she could decide, Susan looked up.

"When our parents sent us to the country, I was most set against it," she said. She continued to pull off the flower petals. "Peter thought it would be an adventure; Lucy was afraid, but too small to know her own mind; and she was willing to go wherever Peter went. Edmund was against it on principle only, because he was against everything at that time.

I like everything to be settled. To stay the same. My life has been uprooted twice now, once to the professor's house, and once to Narnia. And now you come and tell me that again, everything must change. I must go from a woman, and a queen, to a child." She set the flowers down; most of them were now shorn of all their petals. "Oh, and there was another time, between the two: when I went to Calormen to be wooed by a prince. Had you come at that time, and told me of the danger I was going into with Edmund and several of our closest friends, I would never have gone.

Rabadash greatly unsettled my life, for he professed his love for me, and asked for my hand. My hand! To rule with him over the greatest land of this part of the world. And yet, when I came to know him, he was cruel and did not love me. He would have enslaved me rather than let me go." She let out a shuddering breath. "It is a fearful thing to find oneself at the mercy of someone without mercy. I have not courted since."

Kylee did not move. She wondered if Susan was really talking to her, or if she was merely thinking aloud.

Susan brushed the flowers off of the bench and stood up. "Fear is an unpleasant thing. It holds us back from anything which we perceive might change us or our situation. Yet though I am afraid of many things, still I refuse to let fear master me. I would never have stayed behind in London, if given the choice; and I would never have gone back to England. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy are my care as much as Narnia; and they have the longer claim upon me, and the dearer."

Kylee blinked as Susan's words settled in. "So … you're going to the hunt?" she asked.

"Of a surety," answered Susan.

She swept past, and Kylee turned to watch her go. That was a real queen. She was a lot of things Kylee had no words for. She just knew that Susan was the real thing. Sadness settled into her heart. Soon all of this would be gone. Narnia would be dark and scary; the Miraz guy would kill all of the talking animals and the dryads.

She did not go back into the castle, but remained in the garden.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Lucy looked across the table at Susan. The banquet hall was a din of voices so loud that it nearly drove her mad. These were the times when she wished she were out in the forest dancing with a faun, or exploring caverns with dwarfs. Susan was the gracious hostess who never seemed bothered by the uproar. She was seated next to the ambassador of Galma, and was talking to him as if they were old friends. Well of course, they practically were. Susan had visited Galma twice, once when they first began to make contact with Narnia's neighbors; and once not long before the Rabadash incident. She had made sure that trade relations were as much to everyone's advantage as possible. She was good at things like that.

Lucy studied her intently. There was no sign on Susan's face of any trouble. She knew her sister well, and at last she was sure that Susan was truly at peace.

Lucy heaved a small sigh of relief. Her own thoughts had been less untroubled. Had they put undue pressure on Susan? Surely she felt free to make her own choice, no matter how the other three might decide. Did Susan feel obligated to go with them out of duty, or perhaps guilt?

But no. Lucy herself was more likely to bend to the will of her older brothers and sister, and she had made her own choice in spite of Peter himself. Susan was the stubborn one. She would not have decided this except of her own free will.

"Lucy." She started a bit at the voice next to her ear. Peter stood beside her. "I am going out on the balcony. Will you join me?"

She nodded and got up. She smiled at the few of the ambassador's entourage who noticed; they immediately went back to their meal and their talk.

She followed Peter out to the balcony. The noise receded to a dull roar in the background, and she breathed in the evening air, crisp with the promise of winter and sweet with the smells of the apple orchard.

They stood side by side without speaking for a while. Lucy tried to remember what he had looked like fifteen years ago. He must have been her height. He'd had no beard. His hands were not calloused. His eyes had not had the light of wisdom in them that they had now.

"Do you think we will really go back to England?" she asked.

"Who can tell? Kylee seemed very certain that we would."

"I do not wish to leave Narnia."

"Nor I."

"But I feel that we must go to hunt the stag. Ever since Mr. Tumnus spoke of him, my heart has desired it above anything else."

"You are nearest to Aslan." Peter smiled at her. "I think that he gives you insight that we others have not, save perhaps Edmund at times."

"Do not jest with me," she said. "Edmund is far more foresighted than I."

"He can see many things in the future, true. But you see things as they are now. It is the Lion's gift to you. I trust you, Lucy. I learned long ago that you speak the truth because you seek it. I wish that I had your unwavering trust in Aslan."

"I would hardly call it unwavering," she said. "It may be that you simply do not see me waver, because your love blinds you."

"It is not so," he said. "I know you well, and am glad that you are my sister, and my fellow-sovereign."

"Likewise," she said with a wry smile. "Saving the 'sister' bit."

Again they fell silent, looking out at the sky, counting the stars as they peeped one by one into the sky.

XXXXXXXXXXX

The banquet was over. Kylee went to her room, feeling uncomfortably full. Her head was spinning with all the noise. She had watched Peter and Lucy leave the room and had longed to follow them, but felt that she would only be intruding.

All in all, it had not been nearly as interesting of a night as she had thought it would be. No one from Galma had seemed to notice her. She had been set near the end furthest from the kings and queens, with pages and squires. In fact, the only truly nice thing had been seeing her own flower arrangements gracing the table. Now she was tired and all she wanted to do was sleep.

She dressed in her plaid pajamas, blew out her candle, and lay down. Through the open curtains she could see the stars gleaming in the sky, much brighter and larger than in her own world. She wondered if it was because there were no city lights, or if they really were just bigger. She knew nothing about stars, but at that moment she wished she did. They were like jewels sprinkled through the night. She wanted to reach up and take one.

She drifted to sleep, and dreamed of a lion who took her up into the sky and let her take a star back to her own world with her. Once there, she opened her hand and it floated up into the sky, where it hung, bigger than all the other stars, and seemed to sing with a high, clear voice in a strange language.

When she woke up, the sun was in her eyes. She sat up and immediately realized that the bed she was in was smaller and springier. Her eyes adjusted, and her heart jolted unpleasantly. She was in her own room, in her own house, in her own world. She jumped out of bed. What if it just been a strange dream? Surely she had one thing with her from Narnia. Something to prove that she had really gone there. She stuck her hands in her pockets, and from one of them she pulled a deep purple rose. It was dried, but it had not crumbled, and it had a strong fragrance still.

She set it on her desk, got dressed, and went to her computer, where she immediately looked up The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

To her surprise, she found that there were not three books in the series, but seven. She ordered them all.

 _The End_

A/N: And that, dear readers, is the end of the story, for us at least. Thank you for all your kind comments and for following this rather long tale to the end. I hope you enjoyed it!


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